The Inkatha Freedom Party says it welcomes and accepts the public apology by Communications and Digital Technologies Minister, Stella Ndabeni Abrahams.
Ndabeni Abrahams has not only apologised, but has been placed on two months’ special leave by President Cyril Ramaphosa, with one month unpaid leave.
The action against the Minister comes after she had lunch with the former Higher Education Minister, Mduduzi Manana and his family, contravening the lockdown regulations.
In a statement IFP Spokesperson on Communications and member of Parliament’s Communications and Digital Technologies Committee, Zandile Majozi says is it Ndabeni-Abrahams’ “regrettable and irresponsible actions during the lockdown, which will now be met with a harsh penalty, may serve as a lesson to all South Africans that no citizen should break the gazetted rules of the lockdown and that law enforcement will take its course.”
Majozi says the IFP further wants to reiterate its call on all citizens to stay at home during the lockdown period.
There are now eight days left before the 21-day lockdown comes to an end. However, it is not yet clear whether the President will be extending it beyond the 16th of April.
Ndabeni-Abrahams has since apologised to South Africans following a meeting with President Ramaphosa on Tuesday.
A storm brewed on social media after the publication of a photograph of Communications Minister Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams and ANC NEC member, Mduduzi Manana, lunching at the latter’s Johannesburg house.
“The President believes that no one including the Minister is above the law and therefore the law must take its course. The minister must face the same consequences as everyone else in the country for violating the rules that have been set for all of us,” says Presidency spokesperson Khusela Diko.
Khusela Diko says the President Cyril Ramphosa has expressed his disapproval of Minister Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams’ actions:
Political parties
While some political parties and commentators have welcomed the sanction, others want tougher measures.
Congress of the People Spokesperson, Dennis Bloem, and Leader of the Freedom Front Plus, Pieter Groenewald, have commended Ramaphosa.
“We are saying this is a step in the right direction, it will send out a good message to everybody in the country, that no one is above the law,” says Bloem.
Groenewald says, “The Freedom Front Plus welcomes the decision from the president. The fact that she loses one month’s salary is the right thing, but she must also be prosecuted for contravening the regulations. If the public gets arrested and prosecuted therefore, the minister must also get prosecuted.”
The Democratic Alliance and the Economic Freedom Fighters, however, believe that the sanction is not enough. Both want Ndabeni-Abrahams to be prosecuted with the EFF calling for her to be fired from the cabinet and criminal charges laid against her.
“We call on the Minister of Police and SAPS to take the same action they have done with ordinary citizens who have violated the regulations. The EFF further calls for an investigation into the claims of one Mduduzi Manana who claimed through his foundation that the minister’s visit was related to acquiring personal protective equipment to combat the spread of the coronavirus. It is concerning that a sitting minister can be summoned to a home of an individual for donations while there are existing structures and mechanisms that coordinate donor efforts towards combatting COVID-19,” says EFF National Spokesperson Delisile Ngwenya.
Leadership expert Mazwe Majola agrees with the EFF and DA, saying President Ramaphosa’s action is unconvincing.
“If at least he had fired the minister, it would have sent a clear and strong message to his colleagues and also to the whole nation. So, even though the two months’ special leave is a sanction, it’s like a cowardly and spineless decision. It’s like I am just showing people that I don’t have any favouritism. However, if he was a strong and courageous leader he would have fired the minister. Just to show that he means business.”
President Ramaphosa’s consistency has been questioned by some on social media in relation to a lack of sanction of Social Development Minister Lindiwe Zulu for a video last month in which she joked about staying home during the coronavirus outbreak. The video was before the lockdown came into effect.
So President Cyril Ramaphosa reprimands Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams, docks her pay and puts her on leave for two months and then does nothing at Lindiwe Zulu ? #Covid19inSA pic.twitter.com/in1BS3KFaM
— Nyasha Mcbride Mpani (@NyashaMpani) April 8, 2020
Political analyst Ongama Mtimka says the high level of public pressure had influenced the President’s decision in this case. “I want to give a lot of positive messages about the culture of holding public servants accountable which we are seeing and it has been created a lot more by social media. So, what I am saying is that while the president may well be acting consistently with the posture of leadership that he has shown, we can never overestimate the role that public pressure played in that decision-making.”
With a week still to go before the end of the lockdown, government clearly hopes that the action against Ndabeni-Abrahams will foster continued public confidence in its seriousness in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Below are amended COVID-19 regulations:
Loading…
